\Samvad

Chaitra Purnima Vik. Samvat 2079, Yugabda 5124 : 1 6 April, 2022:SM 4002 (For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS: AKSHAYA TRITIYA 2. KASHMIRI PANDITS WILL RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND AS ‘HINDUS AND BHARAT BHAKT': DR. BHAGWAT
3. RASHTAPATI KOVIND LAUDS BHARATIYA DIASPORA IN NETHERLANDS 4. ABVP IS TORCH-BEARER OF NATIONALISM – DATTATREYA HOSABALE
5. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON REWRITING BHARATIYA HISTORY 6. FOURTH CHITRA BHARATI FILM FESTIVAL-2022
7. HSS ACTIVITIES 8. HINDU SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH UK ACTIVITIES
9. SEWA INTERNATIONAL – UKRAINE SEWA 10. SEWA BHARATI SERVED 20000 PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST THROUGH DHANVANTARI MEDICAL SERVICE
11. BHARAT’S HELPING HANDS 12. BHARATIYAS IN OMAN: '75 DAYS, 75 YOGA EVENTS'
13. GANESH TEMPLE STREET IN NEW YORK 14. AFSPA REDUCED IN NAGALAND, ASSAM, MANIPUR
15. RSS FIRMLY BELIEVES IN THE PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE OF HUMAN BEINGS - KOBBI SHOSHANI 16. AFTER 32 YEARS, KASHMIRI PANDITS CELEBRATE ‘NAVREH’ BY DAL LAKE
17. FORMER IIT KANPUR STUDENT DONATED RS 100 CRORE TO HIS INSTITUTE 18. UPI TRANSACTIONS TOUCH $ 1 TRILLION
19. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Article: SURVIVING COLLEGE AS A HINDU

1. FESTIVALS: AKSHAYA TRITIYA: Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akti or Akha Teej is an annual Hindu and Jain spring festival falling on the third tithi of Shukla Paksha of Vaisakha (May 3 this year) and signifies the "third day of unending prosperity". In Sanskrit, the word akshaya means "never decreasing". The day is considered auspicious by Hindus and Jains in many regions of Bharat for new ventures, marriages, investments such as gold or other property and any new beginnings.

Akshay Tritiya is also the birthday of Parashurama - sixth avatar of Vishnu, the day Veda Vyasa began reciting Mahabharata to Ganesha and the day Ganga descended to earth. After closing down during winter, the Yamunotri and Gangotri Mandirs are reopened on this day during the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage.
In Odisha, sowing of rice paddy for the ensuing Kharif season is commenced on Akshay Tritiya in a ritual called Akhi Muthi Anukula. The construction of chariots for the Ratha Yatra festivities of Jagannath Temple also commences on this day at Puri.
Jains who observe Varshi Tapa – year long fasting and ascetic austerities – break their fast on this day by consuming sugarcane juice to commemorate the first Tirthankara Rishabhdev ending his one-year asceticism. Fasting and ascetic austerities are marked by Jains, particularly at pilgrimage sites such as Palitana (Gujarat). -GoTop


2. KASHMIRI PANDITS WILL RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND AS ‘HINDUS AND BHARAT BHAKT' - DR. BHAGWAT: On April 3, while addressing the Kashmiri Hindu community via video conference on the last day of the Navreh celebrations, RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat expressed hope that the Kashmiri Pandits who were displaced from their homes in the 1990s after the onset of terrorism, will soon return to their houses in the Kashmir valley as Hindus and ‘Bharat Bhakts’.

He also said that the Kashmiri Pandits should take a resolve to return to their homeland. He further stressed that it is imperative that we shouldn’t accept defeat and face the challenges.
On the recently released movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ that narrates exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990 in the wake of rising militancy, Dr. Bhagwat said that the film has exposed the tragedy faced by the Pandits. -GoTop


3. RASHTAPATI KOVIND LAUDS BHARATIYA DIASPORA IN NETHERLANDS: On April 6, while addressing the members of the Bharatiya community and ‘Friends of India’ at the Bharatiya community reception organised by the Ambassador of Bharat to the Netherlands Reenat Sandhu in Amsterdam, Rashtrapati Shri Ram Nath Kovind lauded the achievements of the diaspora which has been taking small steps towards formulating the policies of their respective countries and playing a role in changing the geo-politics of the region.

  Shri Kovind underlined that the safety, security and well-being of Bharatiya citizens all over the world is a priority for Bharat.  He also invited the Bharatiya community members to join in Bharat’s transformational journey and contribute with their ideas, business models and investment profiles. -GoTop


4. ABVP IS TORCH-BEARER OF NATIONALISM – DATTATREYA HOSABALE: On April 15, speaking at the release of a compendium of two books recording the 75-year history of the students’ organization Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), RSS Sarkaryavah Shri Dattatreya Hosabale described ABVP as the “torchbearer of nationalism”.

Shri Hosabale said that every student organisation wants to bring about change but the path it chooses to achieve this goal is important as he underlined that the students’ organisations should work in a creative way with a sense of responsibility towards society and work for nation-building. He said that at times, the young generation has to raise its voice against the government for welfare of the people, but students’ organisation should not call for ‘tukde-tukde’ of the country. He added that in the name of revolution, they talk about bloodshed in the country and to stop such forces in the universities across the country, ABVP workers have sacrificed their lives. Emphasising that the ABVP is more about student activism than student politics, Shri Hosabale said its contribution to develop student strength as national strength has not been recognised yet. -GoTop


5. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON REWRITING BHARATIYA HISTORY: On March 29, an international seminar was organised by the Department of Sanskrit, University of Delhi in association with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), on the theme of ‘Rewriting Bharatiya History’ in the light of latest findings in archaeology. Addressing the gathering, RSS Sahsarkaryavah Dr Krishna Gopal said that colonial historians and Marxists have inculcated a kind of disdain for our culture and traditions among our people.

Commenting on the need for rewriting history, he said people who came 200 to 300 years ago wrote our history and it needs to be rewritten from the Bharatiya perspective.  He also said that it is a misconception that British brought democracy and literacy to Bharat. Vaishali was a democracy with 7000 representatives who elected their king. Also, Bharat had a literacy rate of 73 per cent before the arrival of the British and it was 14 per cent when they departed.
Shri J Nandakumar, National Convener of Pragya Pravah, said that during the colonial period, the story of our country was distorted so that we consider it as an inferior country. That’s why we need to rewrite our history. Prof Chandkiran Saluja - Director, Sanskrit Promotion Foundation and Prof B A Mani – ex-DG, National Museum and other dignitaries also spoke at the event. -GoTop


6. FOURTH CHITRA BHARATI FILM FESTIVAL-2022: Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna promotes making and screening of films glorifying our ancient knowledge system, values and ethos. It conducted a three-day 'Chitra Bharti Film Festival-2022 (CBFF-2022) in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) from March 25-27. The themes for CBFF 2022 were – Bharatiya Independence Struggle, 75 Years of Independent Bharat, Unlockdown, Vocal for Local, Happy Village, Prosperous Country, Bharatiya Culture & Values, Innovation – Creative Work, Family, Environment & Energy, Education & Skill Development.

 Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the festival in a function attended by eminent actor Akshay Kumar. A master class was organised on all three days of the fest. Film directors T S Nagabharana (Kannada), Subhash Sahu (Oriya), Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (Hindi), Prof. Vaman Kendre (Marathi) and voice artist Harish Bhimani conducted the classes.
The festival ended with the prize distribution ceremony at Ravindra Convention Centre on March 27. Union MoS, information and broadcasting, Shri Loganathan Murugan was the chief guest during the ocassion. In his address he said that Bharat is moving ahead by connecting with its cultural roots.
Prizes were given in five different categories - short films, documentary, animation, non-professional and campus-professional. The biggest prizes were given to Kabir Shah and Deepika Kothari, producers of short film 'Chhoti Si Baat' and documentary film 'Bharat - Prakriti Ka Balak' respectively. -GoTop


7. HSS ACTIVITIES: To commemorate International Women’s Day, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Dallas West Vibhag hosted "Connect Across Diversity" event on March 26. 19 people including 7 samaaj shreni guests attended the two-hour event. The guests shared information about their organisations and HSS was introduced to them. There was an informal talk and sharing of views on a few chosen topics relevant to women and society in general. Some engaging sitting games were played followed by dance on Bharatiya folk music with all attendees participating in it.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) along with US-based Dharmic organizations initiated the development of a traveling exhibition entitled "Darshana – A Glimpse into the Hindu Civilization." This exhibition portrays the 'Hindu way of life' -  a product of the Hindu Civilization born and nurtured in the womb of the Bharatiya subcontinent for over 5000 years. This exhibition is an effort to showcase time-proven principles and techniques known for revealing the true nature of oneself and the Hindu civilization's contributions to all aspects of human endeavor.
Hindu YUVA UIUC hosted "Darshana" exhibition as part of the ‘Discover India’ event organized by the Indian Graduate Students Association on  April 3. Over 300 people attended the event.
HSS Vivekananda Shakha hosted the exhibition in Wilton Comstock community center and Stamford Fergusson library in Connecticut on April 7. The exhibition opened with a traditional Hindu lighting of the oil lamp by Mr. Kevin - the superintendent of Wilton Schools. State senator Bob Duff, Interfaith group members, Wilton Firefighters and the Wilton Police department also visited the exhibition.
On April 10, Dr. Penny Eucker and LynAnn Kovalesky – directors at STEM school and Mrs. Amie McElroy – Dean of Students joined Mayor of Aurora City Mike Kaufman at the "Darshana” exhibition organized by HSS Colarado at STEM School Highlands Ranch.
HSS Varsha Pratipada events: On the occasion of Varsha Pratipada, HSS USA Veer Savarkar Shakha in Oak Park made snacks and distributed to those who had ordered. The funds generated were donated to Sewa International towards the relief effort in Ukraine. Mahilas came together to prepare the snacks and it was distributed on April 9. 17 Mahilas and 3 Purush participated in the effort.
On April 1, Hindu YUVA at UT Dallas held a Hindu New Year event which was attended by more than 200 people. The celebration was centered around the Darshana exhibition which offered the campus community a glimpse into various aspects of Hindu Dharma as well as into Indic contributions to society. The event included lively demonstration of traditional percussion instruments of “Parai” and “Dhol-Tasha”.
On April 3rd, over 300 people joined Hindu YUVA UIUC to celebrate Hindu New Year. Multiple cultural tables at the event included a Sari & Dhoti dressing table, a Mehndi table, a Rangoli table and a food table. Darshana Exhibition was also displayed at the event. The University police also stopped by to look at the exhibition and engage in the celebrations.
HSS Thailand conducted an online Varsha Pratipada utsav. The national karyakarini was announced during the utsav with Shri Navin Sharma as the sanghachalak of HSS Thailand. Vishwa Vibhag Sah Sanyojak Shri Anil Vartak delivered the boudhik on the occasion.-GoTop

 

8. HINDU SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH UK ACTIVITIES: On April 8, HSS Bharti Shakha, Newbury, UK was invited to take part in the Interfaith Week celebrations at St Barts Secondary School. Swayamsevaks and Sevikas decorated a corridor on the weekend with posters on Hindu Dharma and also delivered a talk on  “What it means to be a Hindu?” in a year 8 assembly which was attended by over 150 students.

On April 3, HSS UK participated in Her Majesty The Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebrations by contributing to the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative of planting trees across the UK. A Hindu tree planting ceremony was conducted by reciting vedic shlokas and the new saplings were showered with waters from the holy River Ganga and also the River Thames. -GoTop


9. SEWA INTERNATIONAL – UKRAINE SEWA: Sewa Europe is continuing its humanitarian efforts for the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Along with its partner organisations, Sewa Europe is providing short-term and long-term accommodation, food, assisting in hospital visits and onward journey to safer places in Europe. It is also providing assistance with food distribution in Ukraine.

On March 18, Food For Life Hungary team reached the border between Romania and south-west Ukraine from Budapest, with a delivery of 2 tonnes of food & provisions. However, the local authorities did not let the Ukrainian recipients of aid approach them due to the growing presence of NATO armed forces in the area. The volunteers took the brave decision to cross over the Romanian border into Ukraine and delivered non-perishable food ingredients to the Food For Life team in Kiev. This will help maintain daily hot-meal distribution in war torn Kiev.
Volunteers have been welcoming hundreds of families who fled Ukraine to Poland. These families are from some of the most impacted areas like Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kiev and a few from Lviv. These families arrived hungry, traumatised, after often risk-filled long journeys from the Eastern part of Ukraine. Volunteers arranged for hot meals and found them places in Poland to rest, including rented temporary accommodation. Volunteers have also arranged transit for some of these families to Dresden, refugee centre in Neuruppin (Germany), Spain, and resettlement with families they arranged for in Ireland, Sweden and Cyprus. -GoTop


10. SEWA BHARATI SERVED 20000 PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST THROUGH DHANVANTARI MEDICAL SERVICE: Sewa Bharati has served more than 20 thousand patients in North East through its ‘Dhanvantari’ medical service yatra from March 27 to April 1 this year.

It organised 145 medical camps in the entire North East. 124 senior Ayurvedic practitioners and 116 Ayurvedic students participated in these medical camps, along with 60 senior Ayurvedic practitioners and 60 Ayurvedic students from Assam. The closing ceremony of the Dhanvantari medical service yatra was held in Adingiri in Guwahati. Assam health minister Keshab Mahanta, Akhil Bhartiya Karyakarini member of RSS Suresh Soni and NCPCR national director Kanungu Dev participated in the closing ceremony.-GoTop

 
11. BHARAT’S HELPING HANDS: Rice to Afghanistan: In response to the appeals made by the United Nations for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Bharat decided to gift 50,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of wheat to the people of Afghanistan. The second `In-kind Contribution Agreement’ between the Government of Bharat and WFP for the donation of the next batch of 10,000 MTs of wheat was signed by Joint Secretary (UNES) Shri Srinivas Gotru and WFP Country Director Bishow Parajuli. The first installment of 10,000 MTs of wheat has been successfully delivered to Afghanistan and delivery of the next batch of 10,000 MTs of wheat is in the process.
PM Modi, Nepal PM Deuba flag off Bharat-Nepal rail link, launch Nepalese RuPay: On  April 2, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba flagged off the 35-km long cross-border railway link connecting Jaynagar in Bihar with Kurtha in Nepal. According to a Kathmandu Post report, the Jaynagar–Kurtha cross-border railway link will be the first modern railway service in Nepal.

Both counterparts also launched the RuPay digital payment application for Nepal. They also inaugurated the Solu Corridor 132 KV Power Transmission Line and Substation in Nepal built under Government of Bharat's Line of Credit.
Assistance to Sri Lanka: Bharat agreed to provide $1 billion credit line to help ease crippling shortages of essential items, including fuel, food and medicine in Sri Lanka. Bharatiya traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice for prompt shipment to Sri Lanka. The rice shipments could help Colombo bring down rice prices, which have doubled in a year. The 40,000-tonne shipment is part of 300,000 tonnes that Bharat will supply to Sri Lanka in the next few months. A consignment of 40,000 metric tonnes of diesel from Bharat reached Sri Lanka on April 2, the fourth such assistance from New Delhi. Officials of the state fuel entity, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), said that the Bharatiya diesel supplies would ease the ongoing power cuts.
Bharat is planning to provide wheat and rice as gifts to Yemen, Ethiopia, Syria and Afghanistan, from its overflowing granaries through the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP). According to the officials, the WFP had sought from Bharat an initial supply of two lakh metric tonne of foodgrains as an immediate requirement to provide to the vulnerable population in needy countries.-GoTop


12. BHARATIYAS IN OMAN: '75 DAYS, 75 YOGA EVENTS': On April 8, Bharatiya Embassy in association with Yoga organisations in Oman launched a unique Muscat Yog Mahotsav - a festival of peace, health & wellbeing as a run-up to the 8th International Day of Yoga. As Bharat celebrates 75 glorious years of independence as AmritMahotsav, the Muscat Yog Mahotsav will feature over 75 curated Yoga events all across Oman in the coming 75 days till June 21.

Ambassador Shri Amit Narang said that this Yoga marathon will go a long way in making Yoga even more popular in Oman. -GoTop


13. GANESH TEMPLE STREET IN NEW YORK: On April 6, New York's Bowne Street has been named Ganesh Temple Street in the honour of Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam, popularly known as the Ganesh Temple.

The street was renamed during the special ceremony attended by Consul General of Bharat in New York Randhir Jaiswal, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation in the office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Dilip Chauhan and members of the Bharatiya-American community.-GoTop


14. AFSPA REDUCED IN NAGALAND, ASSAM, MANIPUR: In a major step toward peace and improved governance in the north-eastern states of Bharat, the government of Bharat on March 31 said that areas under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the north-eastern states of Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur will be reduced. In a tweet,  Home Minister Amit Shah said that the reduction in areas under AFSPA is due to the improved security situation and “fast-tracked development" to end insurgency and bring peace in the region of the northeast. He added that the north-eastern region, which was neglected for decades, is now witnessing a new era of peace, prosperity, and unprecedented development. -GoTop


15. RSS FIRMLY BELIEVES IN THE PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE OF HUMAN BEINGS - KOBBI SHOSHANI: In an interview, Counsul General of Israel Kobbi Soshani touched upon various aspects of Bharat-Israel relations.

On January 30, Bharat and Israel marked 30 years of full diplomatic relations. Israel opened its embassy in Delhi on February 1, 1992. The Bharatiya Embassy in Tel Aviv opened on May 15 the same year. In 1992, Kobbi Shoshani had visited Bharat for the first time to help establish the diplomatic mission in New Delhi.
In the interview, he said that there is a lot of synergy between the two countries. He said that Israel supports the “Make in India” initiative and technology transfer is taking place in defence sector and cyber security. He stressed that both countries are very old civilizations and there is a lot of similarity in culture.
When questioned about his presence in the RSS Vijayadashami Utsav, he said that during his previous visits to Bharat, he had heard a lot about the RSS work and had visited a few projects run by RSS functionaries. He was hugely impressed and wanted to get an insight into the organisation; hence decided to attend the function in Nagpur. He said that he has gathered an impression that the RSS is a nationalist organisation and is involved in the work of nation-building. He added that RSS is not against any other religion and firmly believes in the peaceful coexistence of human beings. -GoTop


16. AFTER 32 YEARS, KASHMIRI PANDITS CELEBRATE ‘NAVREH’ BY DAL LAKE: For the first time after 32 years, Kashmiri Pandits celebrated the ‘Navreh’ (New Year) festival on April 1 along the banks of the Dal Lake. Before their exodus, local Pandits used to celebrate the beginning of the new year at Mata Sharika Devi temple situated on a hillock called the ‘Hari Parbat’ in the middle of the old city of Srinagar.

A cultural programme and an exhibition depicting Kashmiri Pandits in their traditional attire was held and was attended by many tourists. -GoTop


17. FORMER IIT KANPUR STUDENT DONATED RS 100 CRORE TO HIS INSTITUTE: Rakesh Gangwal, the co-founder of IndiGo airline and a billionaire businessman, has donated Rs 100 crore to IIT-Kanpur. This money has been given to help in the development of the School of Medical Sciences and Technology and to build a 500-bed super-speciality hospital on the campus.
Rakesh Gangwal hails from Kolkata and studied mechanical engineering at IIT Kanpur in 1975. In 1980, he joined the airline industry and later became the co-founder of Indigo Airlines. -GoTop


18. UPI TRANSACTIONS TOUCH $ 1 TRILLION: The Unified Payments Interface or UPI, developed indigenously by Bharat, has breached the $1-trillion mark in transaction values for the financial year 2021-22. It is a major milestone for the payments system which has witnessed substantial growth over the past two years and led to further digital adoption for payments and financial services.

According to data until March 29 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates and manages UPI payments, UPI has recorded transactions valued at Rs 83.45 lakh crore in FY22. The Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown boosted digital transactions in Bharat and over the past two years, UPI has seen a significant rise in transactions in Bharat. The payments mode has broken multiple records in the past two years and is now inching closer to Rs 9 lakh crore in monthly transaction values. -GoTop


19. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Darshan Soni - USA, Abhinandan and Anshuman - Botswana, Syon Niyogi - Sri Lanka. -GoTop


FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Don’t be proud if you gain. Nor be sorry if you lose. - Bhagwan Mahavir  -GoTop

JAI SHRI RAM
---
SURVIVING COLLEGE AS A HINDU
-Marut Yelagalawadi

How peer discussions strengthened and made me a calm defender of my faith
By the beginning of the fall, 2022, semester, approximately 20 million high school graduates will be taking classes at US institutes of higher learning. A small but significant portion of these freshmen university students will identify as Hindus. However, since the turn of the 20th century, many of these state and private universities abandoned religious aspects of education and became more secularized, continuing the trend of secularization throughout American society and the Western world at large. As these young men and women begin their academic journey, it is clear that some will face a dilemma: maintaining their identity and being outcasts, or denouncing their identities to fit in.
I am one of these students who has faced such a dilemma, between fitting in with the university social environment and being a practicing Hindu, and I have found that such a dilemma need not be faced. If anything, practicing my Hindu heritage and its core tenets—such as the belief in pursuing knowledge—has helped me become a far more studious and hardworking individual in my college years. It has helped me maintain my philosophical beliefs while befriending students of different religious backgrounds. With American society being secular and friendly to people of all religious backgrounds (and even to those with no religious backgrounds), I have connected with American Hindus and engaged in interfaith dialogue.

Yet, the issue of being a practicing Hindu on US campuses ­remains. I recall a philosophy class discussion on the concept of God and religion that examined the relationship between an individual and his or her God. Many students shared ideas in the framework of Judeo-Christian theologies, with some bringing up Islamic and Buddhist tenets. Fascinated with the discussion and excited to share my analysis, I explained some of the basic tenets of Hinduism, from Sanatana Dharma to moksha. To my dismay, the responses were not quite reciprocal, and most of my analysis was discarded.
It could have been my enthusiasm was off-putting, or that the online Zoom setting depressed the reciprocation of my enthusiasm. Perhaps it was the subject matter I broached. While I gave my peers the benefit of the doubt, the event made me think of similar discussions and made me realize that Hinduism may not be understood or appreciated as much as it ought to be.
Outside of class, I have often spoken with many friends about Hinduism and related concepts. Two common trends stand out to me. The first is that many non-Hindu college students do not seem to know anything about Hinduism, or are accustomed to accept what they learn through social media.
For instance, in one discussion during a project on the relationship between religion and politics in a political theory class, a peer asked if Hinduism “has anything to do with yoga and meditation.” Later, he asked if simply sitting down cross-legged and chanting “Om” three times makes someone a Hindu. During a discussion in philosophy class, the lecturer pointed out the “polytheistic elements in Hinduism” that separate it from the monotheistic, Semitic religions. Rather than becoming disturbed, I simply chalked up these instances to misinformation or half-truths that lead to ignorance toward Hinduism. I have always found it enjoyable to discuss my faith and heritage with those who wish to understand it. If anything, these fruitful discussions have taught me more about my own faith, as complex and unique as it is.
The second trend is about irrational, unfounded bigotry as much as it is about misunderstanding—and this goes beyond one’s college years. As the secularization of institutions ramps up in the Western world in the 21st century, it seems that some antitheistic individuals use university platforms to stoke fear and hate against those of religious backgrounds, which has in recent years included American Hindus. Despite Hinduism’s being a worldwide faith shared by people of different ethnicities and nationalities, it is often conflated with the Republic of India and the current geopolitical situation in the Indian subcontinent. The terms Hindutva and Hindu nationalism are being thrown around in American universities, despite their having nothing to do with religions or politics in America. I distinctly recall one person characterizing Hindus as Nazis because of our use of the swastika—a symbol meant for peace that was and is unjustly used by truly deplorable white supremacist organizations.
It has become increasingly exhausting explaining to some non-Hindu peers that simply because I am a Hindu does not mean I have ties with India or the geopolitical situation in the Indian subcontinent, especially as it refers to complicated issues such as the Kashmir conflict. Explaining to these individuals that I am an American Hindu, born and brought up in the United States, falls on deaf ears. Unfortunately, it has become difficult for me to even try to change their view. But alas, it is something I will continue to do.
As when facing all forms of bigotry, it is important to continuously defend your heritage, but without engaging in altercation, to speak softly but be strong about your convictions. While I have not changed the minds of those who are against me based on my heritage, my words have been heard. Engaging in sincere discussion about Hindu heritage, I believe, helps ensure that fewer people become Hinduphobic and more people better understand what it means to be Hindu.
Anti-Hindu sentiment is not foreign to American universities or the United States at large, nor is it foreign anywhere else. Wherever there is ignorance, a culture of fear evolves into a culture of hate.
It is up to us American Hindus to not engage in more conflict, but to engage in valuable dialogue with those who do not under­stand Sanatana Dharma. It is important to shed light where there is darkness, and participate in meaningful discussions so that such ignorance is removed.
About the Author
Marut Yelagalawadi is an American Hindu residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. While involved in various Hindu cultural organizations, he is currently completing his undergraduate degree in Political Science.
E-mail: marutyelagalawadi@gmail.com. Hinduism Today, 2 April 2022
(https://www.hinduismtoday.com/ ) -GoTop